My Name: How to Fly With Broken Wings
by KizzenNekoLuzZeBatgangYJ
Summary: Dick Grayson's first home is and always will be the circus. When his family dies, he leaves his friends, family, and everything else he knows to be his life. Becoming Robin, he learns that nothing is forever. Nothing...
1. My Past

_**So, this is only about Dick Grayson's life with the circus, not very much Robin, big time skip, and Nightwing as well. This is a mix of the Young Justice comics origin for Dick Grayson, Batman the Animated series, and Nightwing the new 52 comic book series.**_

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"Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Welcome to the Haly's International Traveling Circus!" The begins to play louder then quiets down. "John Haly, folks, ringmaster to this amazing circus!" Haly introduces himself. The dancers come out, dancing in circles. "For the first act of tonight, I would like to point you all to the trapeze! Introducing the youngest members of this circus ranging 9 to 12, the youngest and the star, Richard Dick Grayson, the lovely and wonderful Raya Vestra, and the oldest Raymond! The Act of the Prodigies!" The light points each of us out. "Also introducing the guest in our tent tonight, Gotham's billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne!"

I wear a blue leotard with a lighter blue belt wrapped around my waist, long enough to tie and hang down to my knee and a symbol on my chest that wraps aroung my shoulders, supposed to be the shape of a bird. I also have light blue boots that reach half way to my knees. It's a turtle neck and has no sleeves, my favorite uniform. It's an updated version of one of the Flying Grayson's older uniforms. I only wear it for this act with Raya and Raymond.

Raya wears a pink leotard with lighter link boots and a belt that doesn't hang down like mine. Raymond wears a dark green leotard with black boots and black long sleeves. They don't have families they perform with, they travel alone.

My name is Richard John Grayson, son of Mary Loydd and Fredrick John Grayson. I am 9 years old and I don't speak my much English, but I speak 12 other langauges, someone has to know one of them. I understand English though when it is spoken. I was born in Romania, I am of a rare culture called Roma, we speak Roma or rather Romany, and I am a Christian. I have many peaple to call family and many places to call home. I've been in olympic training since I could walk, performing in the cicus with my mom, dad, Uncle Richard (Rick), Aunt Karla, and Cousin John in the Haly's cricus as The Flying Graysons. When I was 8, my friends and I began a young trapeze group and we became the opening act. Raya Vestra, and Raymond. Then there is Zane, he's a young prodigy knife thrower. He's 12, so is Raymond. raya is 11. I'm the youngest member of the entire circus.

I have a future, I've been trained by the best and taught to be the best, to be great, to one day accomplish something big. Right now, we re is Gotham City, a city we've only visited twice before since I was born, it's danger paints the city red, thats what I've heard.

I'm first to go on. The light comes back up to me on the platform. I jump and grab the bar then I land. Raya comes out and swing to pick me up, raymond is next on. We swing, we fly like birds. My nickname is Robin, my mom started it when I became apart of the family act when I was 5. Some in the circus caught on to it as well. My friends call me Dickie Bird because I go by Rick, short for Richard.

The final to our prodigy act is me. I jump for the trapeze again and swing with much force and grace at the same time. I flip into the air, I perform the quadruple flip and Raymond grabs me. "Dick Grayson! The youngest member of this circus, a star quickly on the rise, folks! His signature quardruple flip! A staunt that even the most well known acrobats cannot perform! round of applause for the We land and Raymond is quick to grab the swing. I sit on it and he lets go. Raya is on the other end doing the same, Raymond jumps for the middle bar, he hangs upside down by his legs.

Once we are done for the crowd, I fall backwards to hang upside down and I swings to grab Raymond and we go back to the platform, Raya doing the same. We climb down the ladder as the rest of the circus continues.

I get changed into my next uniform and go out to play tag with Zane, Raya, and Raymond. Zane isn't performing till second to last. Haly doesn't go back out till the 20 minute break. After 10 minutes of playing, I hear yelling. I look around and don't see any of my friends. But I follow the voices and hide behind boxes. I see Haly fighting with some guy. "I ain't payin' you any damn protection money!"

"Then thats to bad for your performers."

"Get out of here Tony Zucco before I call the cops!"

"Fine, have it your way." As he's walking off, he sees me. i try to run away but he grabs my leotard and lifts me up in front of him. "What have we here, eh? A little snoop? No, I know who you are, Dick Grayson. Some talent you have there kid. It'd be a shame if you have to stop performing because of an accident."

"ZUCCO! Put the boy down! He's just a young child. He doesn't even know English. What your saying to him means nothing."

Zucco looks at me, I'm frightened. "If you tell anyone what you just saw, then I'll make sure you and your folks won't be performing again." Then he drops me and walks away. Haly throws a rock and he runs.

"Are you alright, Dick?"

"We need to tell Momma and-"

"No, don't tell everyone. We'll pack up tonight and be out of here. Gotham is bad news every time he come here. Why don't you go find Raya, Raymond, and Zane." I glare at him, confused on why he would changed subject. Then I nod, get up and run off.

"Dickie Bird?!" Raya was trying to find me within the boundaries of out game.

"Raya!" I yell back.

"Dick? Where've you been?"

"I got lost."

"Then stay close, Dickie Bird."

"Actually, Raya. We should probably go in. We've got stage for during break tonight and Dickie has his act pretty soon." Raymond suggested.

"Raymond's right." Zane added.

"OK, lets go in then." Raya said and we all went into the tent. I found my family ready to go up next.

Every time the trapeze lines are used, they are checked before the next act goes on. The men were exiting. But there was still someone there with two other men. They weren't in uniform or anything. One was really fat, one was tall and skinny, the man standing though, watching the lines being "checked" he wasn't skinny, he wasn't out of average tall. He turns around. Tony Zucco...

"Come on, Dick. What are you staring at?" I must of zoned out. My dad was pulling at my arm.

"I... I-I don't t-th..."

"Dick, c'mon. Forcus, we have to perform now." My mom encouraged.

"We shouldn't."

"Why would you say that?" She kneels in front of me.

My cousin, aunt, and uncle were already heading for the trapeze. "We shouldn't."

"Hold on folks, seems like we're still missing half of the Grayson family." Haly announces. He always comes back in to introduce the trapeze acts, the favored acts of this circus.

My was trying to just pull me along. But I wouldn't. "Richard Grayson, I mean it. Nothing is going to happen. Same as every night. I promise, my little Robin."

"Please..."

"Dick, we can't just pull out last minute and you have an important role in the act." My dad says and finally just picks me up.

"Dick Grayson seems to have come to his senses and is back out with the wondeful Mary and John Grayson." Haly announces.

"John, maybe we should listen to Dick."

"It's alright, Mary. I'm sure it was just a misjudgement. He'll be fine once he's up there."

Dad puts me down. They go up their platform and I run to the other. We climb up. I'm with my cousin and aunt. "You alright, Robin?" She asks. I don't answer.

"We'll be fine, Dickie Bird." John reassures me. I still don't buy it.

My mom is first to go out. She comes to the other side, I stand on the edge waiting. I jump off and grab her hands. "See, your alright, my Robin."

I swing to the next and mom goes back to the other platform. Uncle Rick is next to go out and he takes Karla and John. Then my dad and go out with my mom once the other three out off.

The show goes on as normal. I do my usual quadruple flip and then I'm done till break. "Don't worry, kiddo, you'll be out in less than a year with all of us." I'm to young to be apart of the final to out act.

John is last to join onto the entire family in one act. I hear something. It sounds like a snap. My mom is looking at me, smiling like she always does. I look away to where the snap came from and see the bolt had come off. John jumps off. "no..." I whisper. mom gives a confused face. I hear another snap. This time she notices it. But it's to late. The swing unhooks completely. "NOO!" I scream, my eyes are wide and I watch as my family hits the ground. My mom was looking at me the whole time till she hit the ground. Tears begin to come down fast. But I'm quick to realize... I climb down the ladder, flipping off the last 5 steps. The tent was completely silent, some were leaving quickly, some were in shock. Some were covering the child's eyes. I fall to my knees next to my mom who is breathing very short and quickly. But quickly slowing down as well, getting very little air and oxygen. I saw my dad, he wasn't breathing.

Mom was staring off in shock till I get there. "M-Mom?"

"M-my l-lit-tle Robin." She looks at me and smiles.

"Mom, stay awake..."

"E-every-thing will b-be OK, my R-Robin. My favorite l-little b-bird. I d-don't f-feel... P-pain. B-because y-you g-give me strength." She takes my hand and puts a bracelet in it, the bracelet I gave her. "R-Richard G-Grayson... R-remember who y-you are. A b-boy of wonder. I love y-you... Robin..." Suddenly, she isn't breathing, her smile fades slightly, her eyes relax but stay open.

"Mom? M-mom?" I get no response. "MOM!" People around are leaving quickly, ordered by men in uniforms. I ignore it all. "PLEASE! MOM! Wake up!" I cry. I shake her, getting my hands bloody in the process. "MOM!" I yell again and again.

Bruce Wayne: I watch the boy. He's screaming, trying to get his mother to awake. "Mama! Mama!" He yells over and over again in short breaths, shaking her. "Vă rog! Vă Rog să te trezeşti!" I don't have a clue on what language he is speaking.

Dick Grayson: Suddenly I was grabbed. "No!" I pull away. "Lasă-mă în pace!" I'm grabbed again. This time I'm picked up. My back to whoever's stomach. "Lasă-mă în pace! Lasă-mă în pace!" I scream. It means "Leave me alone." In English. Scream, kick, and cry. I kick backwards at his knees and try to pull his arms away that are wrapped around my chest. "Lasă-mă în pace..." I don't scream this time, I just cry.

"Hey! He wants you to leave him alone!" I hear Raymond's voice.

"The kid has to stay away from the scene for a while, got it?"

"Vă rog!" I say. It means please.

"Put the kid down, officer Jeremy. He doesn't deserve to be treated with disrespect."

I'm put down, but he holds onto my arms. I fall, crying. "Te urasc... I hate you." I cry.

"Now whats he sayin'?"

"He says he hates you." Raya explains.

"Let him go, officer, he isn't going anywhere."

"Then you can catch the runt, Gordon if he runs off." I'm finally let go of. But I don't run off.

"Leave the scene, Jeremy. You've done nothing but scare the poor thing even more."

"Oh, c'mon. He doesn't even understand English!"

"Not spoken, understand well." I whisper. "I hate you..."

He leaves. Raya, Raymond, and Zane are at my side and they all hug me. "I'm sorry kids, but I want to bring him to calm down and I need him to answer questions."

"Why? You won't understand a word he says!" Zane fusses.

"Does he speak anything other than... Whatever he was just speaking? Like French or Spanish?" A woman asks this time.

"He knows 12 different langauges. Of course he'd know French and Spanish, idiot!" Zane snaps.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave the four of you kids alone. Keep him down till we get his family out of here and to a hospital."

That catches my attention. "Mama! Tata!" I yell and try to pull away from my friends a I watch my family be lifted onto beds. Raya gets up with me, hugging me to keep me from running again, but I don't take my eyes off my family being taken from me.

I listen though to whats going on. "Bruce Wayne? What are you still doing here?"

"How could I leave? I see though he's calming down. Whats going to happen to him?"  
"Well, some of the other circus members offered to sign the papers to keep him in the circus... once papers and records are make that is... Tony Zucco threatened the owner of the circus. Richard witnessed it. I'm afraid that Zucco might come back to find his eye witness."

"So he has no one?"

"I'd take him in myself, but I'm never home and I have Barbara at the moment dealing with her mother and brother being gone. They haven't contacted us yet. I'm to caught up. And I don't have room."

"Maybe I can foster him for a while till you find Zucco."

"No, Bruce. You're a busy man. This boy needs someone to act as a parent."

"I can make time and I can help him get through this from experience."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm posative. Just give me a day or two. When is the circus leaving?"

"After the threat, they were going to leave tomorrow, but now they are going to hold out for a day, no more performances for a week. I need to ask the boy a few questions. I wonder if he'll be willing to speak spanish for a bit."

"What is he speaking?"

"No clue. Maybe Italian. Alright, I need to go over a few things with Richard."

The man who has so far defended me approached my friends and I. "Alright, kiddos. Can I speak to the three of you? Richard, can I ask you to talk to my detective?" I nod and get up. I walk with him. "I'm Commissioner Gordon. You can call me Gordon if you'd like, kiddo." At one point he stops and kneels down in front of me. Tears were still falling fown my cheeks. "Your going to be alright, Richard Grayson. Your going to grow up, go to school, get a cute girlfriend, make very great friends. Your going to fall in love and get married, have a job and kids. You'll make a best friend to stick by you in all of it, Richard." He smiles and rubs my shoulders. "Want some good news kiddo?" His thumb whipes the tears away below my eyes. I nod. "Your Uncle..."

"Oncle Rick."

"Uncle Rick, he has a good chance of life." I twitch a smile. "I can already tell, Richard. You are going to succeed with your bravery and strength." He leads me to the bench. "Richard, this is Detective McKenna. She'd just like to ask you a few simple questions. Do you speak spanish?" I nod. "If you could speak that to her, or if you know any English. It's hard for some to understand other langauges. If you feel like you just can't answer these questions yet then just say so. I'll be right back."

He leaves me with the woman. She looks kind, a smile on her face. "Hey Richard." She says in a sooth voice. "May I call you Richie or Rich?" I shake my head. "Richard?" I shake my head again. "Then what would you like me to call you, love?"

"Dick."

"Alright, Dick. These questions will be simple, I just need to get a good description of the man you saw. What color hair did he have?"

"Dark brown."

"Eyes?"

How will I ever forget his eyes... the nonmerciful eyes... "Green"

"Was he tall?" I nod. "And, Dick. What did he say to you?"

"He said if I told he'd go after my family. But, he was going to do it anyways."

"And what did you say?"

"Nothing to him... I tried to warn them though... But I wouldn't speak up." The tears begun again. "I could've saved them, my mom, my dad... I should have told the truth." I began to cry again.

"No, Dick. There was nothing you could have done, love." She hugs me, hiding my head into her shoulder. "Nothing you would've done would've done anything because the future is set in stone. Everything happens for a reason, Dick. You'll be alright."

"No one knows."

"Thats the gift to life, is that no one knows everything." She hugs me for a bit longer, rocking me a bit. "Alright, I'm done torturing you with questions, love." She concludes.

The Gordon takes me again. "I'll be back in two days, alright? Your going to back up and I'm going to bring you to where you will be staying." I look up confused. "It's for your own protection, Richard. His name is Bruce Wayne, he'll foster you till..."

"NO!" I yell and pull away.

"Richard, please."

"Lasă-mă în pace!" I run off and end up sitting on my knees next to the pole holding up the tent and trapeze.

I sit there, they let me be for a few minutes. Raya, Raymond, and Zane were told to give me my space. But I hear footsteps approaching behind me. "So your the-"

"Lasă-mă în pace." I say once again. I hit his hand away from my shoulder. "Te rog, vreau doar să fiu lăsat în pace, du-te departe."

I feel his presence, he doesn't leave. He just stands behind me. "Do you understand English?" He asks.

"Da." I nod.

"Richard, I'm Bruce Wayne, but your welcome to call me Bruce. In two days, your going to come home with me and you can be apart of my family."

"Nici nu vreu să." No, I don't want to.

"I don't understand what you are saying."

"Oh bine." Oh well, Bruce.

Finally, he drops it and leaves. I turn around. I can tell from his body language, I can read him like an open book. He has a headache, he's bringing his teeth, his eyes are twitching ever so slightly. For a playboy, whats he know about difficulties in life besides when is the next company is he going to buy out?

I'm sent to bed, Raymond, Raya, and Zane stay in the trailer with me. I don't sleep at all. Neither does Raya. I just stare off, tears coming down every now and then, I just lay there all night.

In the morning, Haly comes in, he takes me outside to walk around and talk to me. He talks about family, how I can deal with the loss, how I'm going to succeed and how I always hold a spot in the circus. I can always come back. But it will never be the same.

I go back to the trailer and pack what I need or want. I only get to back two suite cases full. I pack both of my uniforms, some clothes, pictures, the bracelet I clean off and put in a box along with my mom's favorite necklace and earings just for sentimental reasons. The earings were birds, the necklace had a bird with it's wings spread apart. I packed pictures of my family. One was my dad and I, one was my mom, dad, and I. One was the Grayson family, all of us in our older blue uniforms. Then one with my friends as well as one with the entire circus. I also took the poster down. Tomorrow, the circus is putting the funeral together with the help of Bruce Wayne. After that, I'm gone.

The next day, after everyone leaves, I stare at my family's grave stones for hours probably, crying silently. Haly stuck with me. Afterwards, I get dressed in a red t-shirt and baggy blue jeans. I say good bye to the circus. Raya, Raymond, and Zane keep me in a hug for what seems like forever, I wish. Sitka, the elephant, she taps my shoulder. I turn around and she picks me up. "I know, Sitka. I'll miss you too." I spread my arms around her head, where she has me leveled. She puts me down. "I'll miss you girl." I say one last time.

Haly hugs me. "If you ever want to come back, you don't even have to ask. This will always be your family and your home. The circus is your home, Dick. Don't forget that." I nod.

The strong man, Bruno puts his arm around me. "I'll miss ya, kid."

"So will I." The assistant, the woman who gets knives thrown at her for a living also says. Her name is Connie. Jimmy the clown hugs me too, Pete joins in as well. He is an older knife thrower. Miranda Kane, a girl who doesn't talk to much to others. Her parents train the animals as well as her. She doesn't hang out with my friends and I, she's sorta a brat. But she hugs me too.

"See ya, Dickie. You better visit. I'll miss you."

Gordon takes me away to his car. I put my stuff in the back and I sit in the front. When we arrive, I glare at the big mansion. "Wow..." Thats all I can say. And this is my life... So I think.


	2. Who I've Become

_**OK, so, next chapter is very brief but I will have chapter 3 up in the next few minutes and I'm beginning chapter 41 Like I said, this really isn't meant to be much of a full story, it's just based around Dick's origin. You'll see in the next chapters what this chapter has to do with anything. Again, this is all a tie in from Nightwing the new 52, Batman the Animated series, Young Justice the 2010-2013 comic series, and my own little lie in of ideas. I have changed the title of the story. After chapter 3, if you want to check out a story I have yet to update called Batgirl & Robin, click on my author name to check it out, ignoring the story on there that has so many mistakes it's incredible that I wrote years ago and posted a year ago. Anyways! Dick Grayson is 12 years old in this chapter, 14 in the next. Chapter 4 will take off where chapter 3 ended unlike chapter 1 and 2. Thank you too my wonderful readers and the reviewer! I hope y'all like! If you like my writing, you may like my artwork, check out youngartistsallstars if you have facebook, if not check out kellakat1014 on **_

_**Thank you to my readers, viewers, followers and I guess I should join the club and say no way I own Young Justice or it would not have been canceled, I promise. I am supporter 101 of the show on facebook and many other cites.**_

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this is my life... So I think.

I found out Bruce was Batman, he never officially adopted me, but it's clear that I'm not going anywhere. I was trained and I become the Robin. I learned English by the time I was 11. My best friend, Barbara Gordon. I met her at school when I was 10. Commissioner Gordon, good man, Barbara looks up to him. I'm the first sidekick, my other best friend being the second sidekick, Kid Flash or rather Wally West. I met him when I was close to 11 years old. Zucco is in prison, I'm 12 years old. My skills with computer match or go above Batman's. My acrobatics towers over his, thats my replacement for martial arts. I am the Robin, a rising hero. But I won't be the Little Robin forever, I won't be Boy Wonder forever.

But I'm still a kid.

I'm training in the cave on the bars, doing flips and tricks. When I discover that Bruce hasn't moved away from the computer in about an hour or two, I get curious, which always puts me in pretty bad situations. "Bruce? What are you working on?" I finally ask, holding my postition on the bars. He doesn't answer though. "Bruce?"

"What, Dick?"

"Didn't you hear me? What are you-"

"Nothing of your concern."

"Well now it is because you won't tell me."

"It's best for you to stay away from this."

"How do you know what's best for me?"

"I've raised you for the past 3 years, haven't I?"

"Thats not that long. And for 2 of those years, you couldn't understand a word I said."

"And yet, you still haven't helped me out with that. I don't know Italian."

"What does Italian have to do with anything?"

"Thats what you were speaking."

"No I wasn't. My first langauge is Romany. Think about it, I'm Roma, Roma people speak Romany. It's not that hard to understand the connection."

"I never thought about it, considering you know 13 langauges."

"Yeah, but..."

"Thats enough, Dick." One thing I don't like about Bruce, he isn't a conversationalist.

I jump down from the bars, doing a quadruple and landing perfectly. I know Bruce is watching from the corner of his eye. I walk up behind him but he quickly hides whatever it was he was working on. "Bruce, whats so important you can't even hint at whatever your doing?"

"I'm only saying it once more, Dick. It's non of your concern now stop worrying about it." He turns and looks at me seriously. I don't act scared, he isn't. But Bruce says I still show slight fear. "I see the guilt in your eyes."

"Technically, my eyes only widen. If you mean look into, you'd mean..."

"Why did I teach you English?"

"Because you don't know Romany or anything about the Roma culture and you only know 5 of the same languages as I?"

"Why don't you go back to training."

"But I've been doing the same tricks for hours."

"Doesn't hurt to practice more."

"I'm an acrobat, that means my muscles can hold up for about an hour more before blistering than any other silly person showing off a simple preschool flip. I can tolerate for another hour until it begins to hurt. Thats about 2 hours, I've been doing that for three. Meanings to say, my stomach and ribs really hurt right now."

"I'm sure you'll live." He shuts the bat computer down and gets up. I stare at the computer in thought. "Dick, follow." He doesn't want me messing with the computer. Fine, I'll do it later. I nod and follow him up to the manor. And how dare I forget...


	3. Why D'you Do It?

_**Alright, like I said, I have this chapter up within 3 minutes of the last. OK, so in this chapter Robin is mad at Batman or rather Dick is mad at Bruce. This brings Dick to do some pretty extreme things. He yells at the team and and league member! But what is it that Bruce was hiding from him? Well, I'm not telling you. This again is of Nightwing the new 52, Batman the Animated Series, Young Justice comic series of 2010-2013, and a bit of my own work. I make up a weakness for young Dick Grayson to separate his character from Bruce's. I want to make them alike but yet show why Dick can't be like Batman because of his own inner fears and enemies holding him back. And what is it that Dick will not tell Batman? You'll find that last question towards the end of this chapter where I actually take a big chunk from Nightwing the new 52 and my own tie in. Normally, this would not be something Dick already knows but Bruce. This time, it's the bird playing the bat instead of the other way around. If you check out my facebook page metioned in the last chapter, you may come to the conclusion that I want to be a Comic Book artist when I grow up or an author. Well, if you did, that is totally true! I own 403 comic books! That's how I got into art and Young Justice!**_

_**Thank you for reading all comic and fiction readers!**_

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2 years later

I'm 14, I have a team. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, Artemis, Zatanna, and Rocket as well as me. I'm considered on the same level as Batman. I don't want to be. I've learned something about him that I don't like. It's his way or the high way and sometimes his ways are just flat out cruel. Sometimes I wonder, will I ever be free from that?

I'm at the cave with only Alfred. Batman said I can't go on this mission. Not, it's just frustrating. "We're partners, Alfred! And yet he doesn't seem to treat me like one. He still treats me like I'm a kid, the 9 year old too phased out to understand whats around him. It's more and more missions he's telling me to stay out of. Why? What's going on with him?"

"Master, Richard. I do believe that Master Bruce has a reason for everything he does."

"Yeah, are they always good ones? No, most of the times they are selfish and foolish!"

"Young Master..."

"NO! I want to know what he thinks he's doing all of sudden!" I hit his hand off my shoulder and run to the computer, sitting in the chair and beginning my search. It's gotten easy to hack his computers. I get into his case notes.

_Tony Zucco has yet to come out from hiding. He came back from Chicago two years ago, he's been going by untraceable emails and numbers, I don't even know his name. I think he may really be staying in Blud Haven, which is even worse. Dick keeps tabs there, if he finds out, he'll hate me for keeping it from his for so long. But it's for his own good. If he finds out... I may have to face the fact with him, he was never mine to keep._

"Master Richard, he states that he was only..."

"Then he should have told me from the beginning instead of keeping something like this from me! What if I kept something like this from him?! He makes the rules, Alfred, his rules are cruel and selfish!"

"If you think that your going out with him, I'll be sure to alert Master Bruce."

"wanna bet?" I whisper then run off, upstairs to the manor. I'm quick to get on my lap top. I quickly shut off any communications to the cave, I hide my signal so Bruce won't know for a while. Then I lock my door and get dressed into my uniform.

I jump out the window of my bedroom and I run. I run for the zeta tube. *Robin: B-ZERO-ONE* The computer announces my presence to the cave.

The team was training with Canary. "Your just in time, Robin. I was thinking you would be the best person to show the team pressure points, considering..." She finally notices that I don't care, I only keep walking, not even flinching at her voice. "Robin? Did you hear me?"

"I'm not deaf."

"Then walk back over here and answer me."

I stop walking and I turn around. But I stand my ground. "Make me, Canary."

"Robin, what has gotten into you?"

"Did you know?"

"About what?"

"Something that everyone but the victim in all of this knows!"

"Robin, walk over here and now your sitting out or..."

"Or what? You'll send me to my room!? You'll yell at me!? You'll call Batman!? Your not my mom and your not the mom of anybody else here!"

"Robin, calm down and talk. This isn't you." Kaldur speaks up.

"How do you know who I am? Most of you don't even know what my first name starts with!"

"RICHARD!" Canary yells this time. It phases everyone but me. "Thats enough! Now do as your told, your role as Robin isn't a freedom role. You made that commitment years ago."

"TO BATMAN! Not you, not anybody else! The role as Robin is a partnership, but I'm done! Batman is cruel and selfish and I'm done following him like a dog! He lost my trust." I begin walking away again.

"Robin, come back here!"

"Lasă-mă în pace." I finally say.

"What does that even mean?" I hear Raquel's voice.

"Leave me alone!" I stress. "Lasă, leave. Mă în pace, me in peace." I hear M'gann grunt, she was trying to get into my mind. "And get out of my mind, M'gann!" I snap hard at her. I can hear her whimper, meaning she was crying. "Suck it up." I whisper, making sure no one can hear. But I know Conner probably heard, considering I heard him growl.

They don't go after me. I find the vehicle room and I lean against the wall, I put two fingers to the wall and listen on my comm to what they are saying. "Why didn't you go after him?" Conner asks.

"Because, if Robin is determined enough, I can't beat him. He probably has the idea of using pressure points now. Besides... I think he finally knows what it's about. It isn't my place to confront him. Thats the job of someone who probably won't. I'm also afraid he may just break down, mental then physical if I carry on while he's like this."

"What do you mean, break down?" Kaldur asks.

"He may have a black out. You can call it a memory scar. It comes back to sting and never goes away. He won't black out as in just go blank, but it's when a memory takes over the part of the brain that makes you aware of what's going on around you, it takes the place of reality. Like a nightmare, but it's hard to snap someone like Robin out of it, sometimes for hours. Someone who's just so connected to the memory."

Memory black outs... They happen, but normally if there is something to remind me: The day, teasings, posters, surroundings, or something that can anger me. Why tell them? She doesn't deserve to know...

"What about?" Zatanna asks.

"Something no 9 year old should ever have to witness. Now Batman's kept something important from him, saying it's for his protection, but now Robin knows. Batman waited to long, hoping to never have to tell Robin." Canary explained. At least she's on my side. "When it was announced that Robin was brought into the crime fighting world, and in Gotham... No one on the league was OK with it by any standard. He was a 9 year old still recovering from trauma. He had courage and bravery and strength, his experience in acrobatics was his strong point. His tricks her amazing and he was smart enough to outsmart Batman easily. But he was a child who couldn't even speak English fluently, he was traumatized, his determination was his distraction. It still is. He's had to come home from school several times because of black outs or some kind of teasing. This life isn't fair for Robin, he deserved a normal life, and I think he's always understood that, understood the problems with Batman, the cruel and dark ways. But it was his way to recover. It just wasn't fair. But thats the problem in this world. For a majority of kids, life is very unfair because fate makes it that way. Then the children who have the luxuries take it all for granted."

It was silent. Then I heard from my bare ear... "Dick... Please just talk to me at least."

It was Wally. "I don't want to talk."

"Dude, you just yelled at Canary in front of the team like she was nothing, you made M'gann cry and nobody knows what the heck just happened."

"Why do I bother, might as well leave it to someone else to say something, the very last thing I wanted my best friends to know about me!"

"Canary was only trying to make them understand you so they would-"

I turn around, my fists tight. I punch the wall and it cracks, making spiders wed designs in the wall. Wally's jaw drops and he steps back. "I DON'T NEED ANYONE TO UNDERSTAND ME!" I can't stop the tears from coming down. "No one can understand me! My life was ruined, shattered to pieces by a heartless man. The person I then trust the most hides the fact that that heartless cold man has been out of prison for 2 years after escaping, probably orphaned more children just for a good laugh and drink! You know how much sleep I get? I stay awake most of the night, scared of death that if I shut my eyes then I'll have to watch that horrible day happen all over again, scared that I'll have to relive that moment! People in Gotham are cruel, cold, and care about nothing nut themselves and I can't deal with it anymore!" He just listened... "The memory black outs I get... they only get worse, lasting longer, making me have to relive it all and there is nothing I can do about it. I can't control any of it."

I just stand there. After a few seconds, he reaches his arm out in hesitation. For a second, right before he was about to hug me, he stopped, wondering if i was going to do something. But then her put his arm around my shoulder and pulled against him. I collapsed and he came with me. "Even a cop at the scene... I was sitting next to my mother, I knew she was gone but I didn't want to believe it. I cried and screamed. Then he grabbed my arms, I pulled away but he grabbed them again and picked me up my the arms. I kicked and screamed non stop, yelling in Romany, nobody actually understood what I was saying but my friends and the other circus members. When he was told to put me down, he dropped me, not even caring. Batman said they used to all be worse..."

"Then that man was just being an idiot, Dick." He let me calm down, stroking my hair. Probably trying to avoid getting me any more upset. "What made you even think of any of this today? Or-er- Express it?"

"What are you going to do though? Your only 14, Dick. You can't just move out."

"I don't know..." I hear a beeping sound. It's my com. I've turned off the tracker. I don't answer it. I get up and walk to my designated room down a lone hall from the others. I enter the code and enter.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"I only came here to get some notes." I grab a drive with my case notes. "Is the team still out there?"

"No."

"Good." I go to the zeta and transport back to Gotham.

I hear the beeping of my comm again. It plays automatically. *Richard. John. Grayson.* He sounds angry. *You better be back at the bat-cave within the next 10 minutes or I'll come out and find you. If I have to do that, the more trouble you're in when I find you. To be clear, your grounded.* I don't care, after I find Zucco, I hang up the cape... For Bruce that is. I'm done with this "partnership."

I hesitate to respond. *You better damn well be listening, Richard! You are to answer me when I speak to-* I cut it off and shut down my comm.

"Have fun with that, Bruce." I mutter darkly.

**Batman chased the man into his own home. A man Joker had hired. I was running behind. When I came in, Batman had the man pinned against a wall. A little boy had his mother's arms around him, protecting him. She was crying, the boy was confused and small. "Where. is. THE JOKER!"**

**"I don't know, please..." He begs. "I don't know, honestly! He threatened to kill my wife and boy! I had too do it!" He cried.**

**"You know where he is!"**

**The boy was crying. He then glared at me, wondering what I was going to do. I look at him with pitty. Then I take something out of my belt, a bird-a-rang, harmless. I hand it to him. He looks at me confused. "I'm not him." I whisper. Then I get up and turn back to the scene. "BATMAN!" I yell at the top of my lungs. He acted like I wasn't even there. So I walked in closer. "Not like this! Not infront of his family! That man is telling the truth, I can tell."**

**"Shut up, Robin and wait outside."**

**"Your acting as insane as the Joker! You two have grown more alike, its-" He drops the man, turns and slaps me. The room is silent. The man looks at me with a thankful look for trying to help.**

** "I said-"**

**"NO! I don't care anymore! I'm not here to scare little kid's and poor families like you! I'm 14, I'm your partner, and I'm your ward! Not your dog who just follows and watches! Since Joker escaped last, you've been acting like a mad man on the run!"**

** "I'm not repeating myself." He says a bit calmer. I stand my place. He just glares, then he turns around and attempts to pick the man back up. But I grab his arm. He protests, hitting me again in the nose. I feel blood start to drip. Thats when he stops, his eyes widen. "I-" A tear slips past my mask. He steps away from the man. He knows he's crossed the line now. He leaves out the window, no new information on Joker.**

**"Th-thanks... For trying to help." The mother says to me.**

**"I'm sorry you have to live with that, kid."**

**"I thought he was a better man. But what does a Roma 9 year old know about American vigilantes." I answer. "I'll make sure Joker nor Batman bother you anymore, sir. You have my word."**

**"Are you OK?"**

**"Me? I'm Robin, I'm supposed to be OK." I say. "Have a good night. Any damage and health I promise with be taken care of, sir and mom."**

**"Thank you, again." I nod, then I leave.**

By then, I knew my role as Robin was coming nearer to the end. I knew I couldn't do this much longer with him. I could only clean up his mess. I believed that man because it was a feeling I got. Reading his body langauge... I've always been good at reading body langauge. It's how I know things. Batman had no sympathy, no pitty, no mercy.

I sat on the edge of a roof, knees to my chest. I cried for a bit. Then I sensed a nearing presence. I got up and I jumped to the next roof top, I ran across them then took out my grapple gun swing across the street. I stopped and looked back to where I was. It was too far. But then I saw who was across the street from me. Batman. I glared for a few seconds, then I ran. I ran fast, jumping, doing flips and tricks, grappling. But I had to stop. I stopped for an entire minute, that was the mistake. I get up from where I was sitting and my hand is caught my a firm and strong hand.

"NO! LET GO!" I try to slap his hand away but he grabs my other hand as well. "LET GO OF ME!"

"Thats enough, Richard!" I try to pull away. "Stop!" He demands. I don't stop, in fact I kick him hard in the shins. He steps back, loosening his grip and I pull away as hard as I can, getting free and running off as quickly as I can. He follows me. I'm quicker than he is. All of a sudden, I stop... Spots take over my sight. I try to blink it away and memories take over. I see it happening, my family falling. I only feel myself fall to my knees and hear Bruce yelling my name. But then... It just all takes over my mind.

Bruce Wayne: I'm a roof top behind Dick. He's upset, he's mad, all because of me. But he needs to calm down before he blacks out.

But I'm too late. Dick stops, very suddenly. I jump onto the same roof as him. "Dick, please just listen to me." I say. Then Dick falls to his knees and I realize that he can't hear me, he can't see whats really in front of him... I'm quick to get to his side. I look at him in the face. He's staring off into no where, the white optics wide. I take off his mask to see his foreign blue eyes just as wide. I flash a small light into his eyes. "Dick, can you hear me? Dick?" I put both of my hands on his head and shake him a bit. Then I see tears in his eyes. I bring one hand to his face, the other I take away. I use my thumb to wipe the tear away. He blinks finally, but that doesn't mean he's back. So I pick him up and cradle him. I can't take Dick out of his trans, but I can be there when he wakes up.

I take him back to the manor, carrying him to his bedroom. His eyes were shut now, that means he feels physically. I lay him in his bed, then I go to shut the window that was opened, locking it with a key this time which means he can't open it back up. I remove his cape and vest and leave fold them up, putting them on his dresser. "Maybe I made the wrong choice." I say, kneeling down next to his bed. "Maybe you should never have become Robin. It's only left you scarred. I only kept Zucco from you because I wanted to protect you, Dick. He killed your family, he's killed so many other people. When you let emotions take over, your weak. What if you blacked out while fighting him? What if you just couldn't control yourself? I don't want Tony Zucco to take you away from me, Dick. I don't want anyone to take you away from me. I know you can't hear me... I'll explain it when you wake up. I can't imagine the kinds of things you see like this, you never tell me. But I know you don't like them." I say and move the bangs out of his face. "Your my son, Dick, blood or not. I know you have to strong a connection with your family, but I love you like a son, Dick." Then I get up and leave him alone.

I come down to the cave. "Did you bring him home, Master Bruce?" Alfred asks me.

"He wasn't going to come willingly and there was no way I would have been able to catch him. But all of the emotional pain finally took it's toll on Dick's mind. He had a memory black out, he hasn't come back from it yet."

"Oh dear... It's been a while. I thought he had maybe perhaps outgrown them."

"There's a reason it's called a scar in your mind. It never goes away, it's just rather or not it's something he can keep under control."

"So what do you plan on doing when he awakes? I can assure you he will try and run out again, this time without his comm. He's mad, just like you were about finding out the man who killed your family was set free and killed before you could touch him."

"I was older, Alfred. I was smarter. Dick is only 14."

"Or perhaps not. Master Richard may hate to admit it, but you two are a lot more alike then either of you realize."

"Why would he not admit it?" Alfred just told me something meant to be kept. I can tell. But not in the same way Dick would tell.

"The two of you may have different backgrounds, fighting styles, and views on life. But if you look closely, you two are much alike. Master Richard is keeping something from you and I. Just like you've always kept suck things from everyone else as well."

"Why do you think he's keeping something?"

"The way he reacts to things. If you scar him for something he did wrong, he's defensive in a silent way and tries to fix it."

"What do you think he's keeping?"

"Something perhaps to do with his past. Just pay a bit more attention, I promise you'll notice."

"Alfred... I think... I think it's time he no longer should be Robin."

"Is that wise?"

"I'm not sure."

"You realize when he is Robin he is more himself, his joy all takes place behind the mask because thats only where you allow it."

"As he's grown older, he's less afraid to disobey my orders, that will get him hurt."

"I don't think he's ever feared you, Master Bruce. I don't think he has ever hesitated to disobey your orders when he believes something else to be true. This life you've brought upon him, I may not approve but I see who he really is and I know you do too. But he knows the risk and so do you. If not, I'm afraid we would have lost the young master many years ago."

"He's becoming more defiant."

"But sometimes, the results a hard to fight with. Master Bruce, what's the real reason you want to take the life of crime fighting away from Dick."

"Who he may become. His computer and hacking skills, it took time to bring the comms back up and I can never trace it back to him. He's gotten better, fixing anything sloppy within seconds. His acrobatic skills, youth, quickness, those are all mastery work compared to mine. I just fear that one day... You can't break him, he may not show it, but he's already broken. Dick shattered long ago. Glue doesn't stick forever."

"Perhaps you should leave the future up to itself. Nothing you do will change it, just remember that." There are a few seconds of silence.

"I'm sorry..." I hear Dick's voice, soft and quiet. I look over to where I hear it and sure enough he stands there. "I'm sorry for running, for yelling..." I see tears in his eyes.

I walk over and hug him. He cries. "Don't be sorry, Dick. It was my fault. By not telling you, I only made it worse."

"Bruce...?"

"What is it?"

"You don't... You don't think I'd turn on you? On the side of crime fighting?"

"How much did you hear?"

"Not much."

"Dick, I don't believe you'd ever turn on me. I was meaning something else." I lie slightly.

"Bruce, I'd never kill, I'd never turn to the wrong." Thats what Alfred was talking about, he's defending himself from something. They he goes onto that subject.

Dick Grayson: I lied to Bruce. I heard Alfred say he knows I'm hiding something. "Dick, I know that."

"No you don't." He's lying, I can see it in his eyes. "You afraid of what I may become someday."

"Dick, there's something your not telling me."

"I'm done as Robin, Bruce." He becomes wide eyed.

"Dick, I'm not mad that you ran. I'm mad because you put yourself in danger by shutting communications down and you disobeyed a league member's order."

"But I'm done."

"For some reason, I don't think thats all true just yet. The bat clan has a new follower."

"What do you mean?" I follow him to the computer. He brings up a picture. A girl, red hair, green eyes, beautiful... Wearing a bat costume like Batman's but with yellow boots and insignia. "That's Barbara... She's been acting weird lately... I bet this is why."

"I'm leaving it up to you. She's in danger, going after Moth."

"You want me to make her stop?"

"Yes."

"That'll be hard, but she'll listen to me."

"So are we still partners?" He asks.

"Nothing will be the same, Bruce... My role as Robin isn't forever."

"I know that, Dick." We hug. I know he's smiling, but I'm not. I'm lost in though.

Nothing lasts forever. Life, partnerships, teams, and most of all... Secrets.


	4. Batgirl

_**Chapter 4! Just like Chapter 2, this is only a brief chapter about the beginning of Batgirl. This will be how it is every other chapter. Like I said, this is Dick Grayson's story. Chapter 5 will be poster by Tuesday, December 10th. It will be on the beginning of Nightwing and on the same day I will post chapter 6 which is a briefing about the invasion, Dick's life during it and how he plans to spend his time after taking a leave from the team. This story should be 9 or 10 chapters long, having a new story from Dick's life each time. All though leading down on one subject matter and that is... Given to you to find... Sorry, but that is all I should tell you. Thank you viewers and readers!**_

* * *

At school, I stick with a beautiful girl, my best friend, Barbara Gordon. She's the newest follower of the bat clan, Batgirl apparently. I don't like it. Barbara is not going to get into this life. Not if I have anything to say about.

"So, Dick?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear?"

"About what?"

"About Batgirl, silly!"

"No."

"Oh... Well, I think it's pretty cool that Batman is taking a girl sidekick in."

"What makes you think he's taking her in?"

"Well, I mean... He and Robin can't do everything themselves."

"Maybe they don't."

"Why do you have a problem with this subject matter?"

"I never said I do."

"Your avoiding it now."

"Avoiding what?" I stop and grin. She hits me upside the head. "Hey! What was that for!?"

"I'm not an idiot, Dick Grayson! I know you to well. You avoiding it!"

"Barbara, I'm just being logical. You don't know everything about this."

"And neither do you." She walks ahead.

"Actually..." I mutter so she doesn't hear.

We walk home together, we always do. I drop her off at her house. Her dad is home early today. He's there at the door. "Daddy! Your home early today!" Barbara hugs her father. "See ya tomorrow, Dick!" She says and goes inside. I smile back.

"Could you come here, son."

"Sure." I walk up the steps to stand infront of Gordon.

"I see the way you look at her, she talks about you a lot."

"Uh... How do I..."

"Don't ask how, because you already know. She likes you too. So, I don't know how relationships worked out in the circus though you seemed to have some pretty good friends, I do however know how relationships work with Wayne. I'm telling you now and only now, you better not break my daughters heart."

"Uh... Babs and I are just friends. I've made it that way for a reason."

"You two are not just friends. Thats not how she talks anyways. I know in your culure though..."

"What does Roma culture have to do with anything?"

"Isn't it the first person you love you merry?"

"If that was the case then Barbara wouldn't be it. There is nothing of the such. Most of the time, the father has to approve of the man his daughter merrys, he must have his blessing and the woman must have the mother's blessing of the man. And if there are siblings in either families, normally they live together with a few other family members as an extended family. But... Thats not at all what I had in mind considering I haven't been able to follow Roma since I left the circus. That and I'm only 14 so that'ss not exactly anything I've put much thought into... At all... Ever, atually."

"Oh... Well, just don't break her heart. Just promise to protect my daughter."

"I will."

"Good, glad we hate this chat. Can't blame a father for protecting his daughter."

"I understand completely, sir."

"See you later, Dick."

"See you later, sir." I say and walk away.

"Good kid. I'm glad." I hear him say then I hear the door shut.

That night, I go out alone on patrol. My job is too find Batgirl. And I do. I find her trying to fight a gang... "You've got the guts, red. To bad." One of the men say.

"Hey, bucky! My partner doesn't like guns, neither do I!" I throw a bird-a-rang at him, knocking the gun out of his hand. Barbara looks up to see me. She smiles. I take down the gang. "So, Mis Gordon. I believe you have some explaining to do."

"Huh..." She isn't as happy as she was now. "How d'you know my name?"

"Easy actually. Who else has such hair and eyes on the same face?"

"Was that supposed to be a flirt?"

"Depends. But, thats not why I'm here. Your in danger."

"Then I'll fight it off."

"Thats not the point. This isn't a game, Barbara. I know that more than anyone else. This is a life threatening gig that you can't just walk into blind. Taking classes does much less than you think. Your sloppy and a rookie, but not for long because it's orders that you quit."

"No! I am going to be someone else, someone to protect this city! If the Big Bad didn't want me on the streets, why did he send his sidekick instead of himself?"

"That... that was a stupid question." I press a buttom on my comm. Her eyes widen when she realizes he is here, standing up on the roof. Batman jumps down.

"Robin isn't my sidekick by any standard, he's my partner. You on the other hand are not nor ever going to be a partner of mine. This isn't a game for a young girl."

"How old was Robin, like 7?" she fusses.

"Uh, 9." I comment, ouch...

"What difference is there?"

"A big one. Robin was trained for many years before and after and still is. He made an oath to me and Gotham."

"I can too!"

"No, because this is a duo, not trio." He says darkly and leaves. I follow him.

"Yeah, wanna bet?" I hear her say. Thats when I knew... Batman is wrong...


End file.
